Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1884 — A Letter from mark In DeMtte [ARTICLE]

A Letter from mark In DeMtte

The following letter was read by Mr. H. t E. James at the complimentary dinner, at the Jtowels House, Thursday evening, !|ov27th. For its weighty and well ißonsidered utterance we bespeak a careful perusal. _ Hou. Horace E- James,

Dear Sir* Accept thanks for your kind invitatio a to be with you at dinner on Thanksgiving day. I would take great pleasure in joining in your testimonial of appreciation to the Remington Republican trie© Club, the Rensselaer lilaine and Logan Glee Club, and the Rensselaer Cornet Band. They did good sorvico in that that mos* remarkable campaign in the history of our country. The Republican party, with its illustrious record, its careful organization, and its matchless leaders, entered upon the campaign of 1884, conscious of its power to overcome all opposition from without. It was silent upon no national isue; it was equivocal on none; but with a courage and candor peculiar to it, it assumed the aggressive, and everywhere, where its intolerant opponent was not strong enough to prevent, its asserted its claim to the continued confidence of the people. Begotten of the necessities of freedom, free born, and reared literally in the line of battle of a war against oppression, it invited to its ranks the liberal minded, the advanced thinkers aud the moral and political reformers of the day. Ignoring side issues and the restraint of party machinery; encouraging freedom of opinion, speech and action, it welcomed every creed, race and nationality, the only requisite being a common devotion to freedom and equal rights. This aggregation of earnest, educated thinkers, advocating principles, which were not only the conclusions of their minds, but the sentiments of their hearts, was, as I have said, invincible against an outward foe. It could be overcome only from within. Lookiug from the wonderful achievements of the last quarter of a century, to the prospect of still greater things in the future, the masses of the Republican party said “There are greater than side issues—than individual ambitions-. than personal likes and dislikes, and in November the Kepubliean phalanx will march solidly to another grand victory.” But the result of that day taught us that what had been our past strength was our present weakness. Our contempt of party restraint, our encouragement of indepeudenoe, our sympathy for those who struggled for other than political rights, had led to our defeat, (.ike the eagle struck by au arrow winged with its own feather, we * * nursed the pinion that impelled the steel." 1 The treachery of trusted friends hail accomplished what our enemies could not. But it is to the future and not the past we should look. We have suffered defeat, but have not surrendered. That word is not in the Republican vocabulary.

The achievements of the past have lost none of their lustre: the field ol usefulness in the future is as broad and inviting as it ever was. The groat Republican arm}’, from General down to Private, must keep in line Tor the struggle of 18884 , , Victory does hot porch upou our banners, but there is no stain upou them. The men, the measures and the methods of IHS4 bring us no ropreach but, reiiect credit upon us, and if we are true to our principles and to ourselves, the grandest ol ail victories is in store for us in the future. ' Hoping that the occasion may be a happy one, anti with regrets that. I cannot be present, I am Yours Truly,

MARK L. DEMORRE,